Doing the "Right Thing"

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

After reading Lady Fisher’s recent article on doing the right thing, I have been looking for ways we can bring more kids to fly fishing.

While at the Denver Fly Fishing Show today, I ran onto some of the FFF guys that help out up at the Scout camp with casting instruction, matching the hatch, tying and other instruction. The program really could not be done up there without them. They had setup and were teaching any kid that wanted to how to tie a fly and giving some basic casting lessons. There were kids as young as 4 tying their first fly.

Well, the discussion wound around to two real needs for the Scout Camp, flies for boys to lose and tying materials. Each participant is given a fly box with a dozen flies so they have something to work with to get them started. They have some tying supplies, but nothing that they need. Stuff for woolly buggers and foam ants and d-rib is something they need but don’t have.

I could add rod and reel outfits, but there are enough for the participants. Leaders and tippet material is always needed, though.

Anyway, Don Gibbs of Front Range Fly Fishers suggested that each of the members tie a dozen flies for the boys. I got to thinking that I knew guys that might want in on that on this board. They need simple dries (Adams, BWO), Copper Johns and caddis larvae. Nothing real tiny as the boys have to be able to tie them on without losing them. We are talking boys from 12 to 18 in age.

Anyone up to tying a dozen flies for the Scouts? Just a dozen. Some of us do that several times a year for swaps. If not for my guys, call the local Council office in your area and tie some for them.

Now, I don’t want the girls to be left out on this. One of the ladies I talked to today was asking me if I had any idea on how to get the Girl Scouts to institute a badge for fly fishing like the Boy Scouts have. Then I got to thinking that if enough people call the local Girl Scout council offering to help with that badge, the Girl Scouts might get the idea that they need one.

I know I just threw out a lot to kick around, but there have got to be some good ideas out there.

2

Just tell us where to send them.

3

Hooked on Tahosa
Camp Tahosa
173 County Road #96
Ward, CO 80481

This gets them right to the camp. Don’t forget the “Hooked on Tahosa” part. That way Ranger Marc knows what they are for and can stick them with the rest of the program stuff.

4

I’ve seen several threads here on Box Swaps. Someone starts it by putting in some STUFF and it goes around the country and back to the originator. Along the way some is taken out, more is put in and goes to the next person. More seems to go in than comes out and when it gets back to the originator it starts again.

I was thinking this could be a perpetual things which would continually supply an organization with materials to help with tying instructions and supply new, young tiers with materials. When the originator gets the box back they could cull it for materials needed for an organization, start a new box for circulation and send it around again. If you think about it lots of these boxes could be going around for an equal number of organizations.

I have never done a Fly Swap or Box Swap but am willing to start one if someone will keep an eye on me so I don’t screw it up.

Jerry

5

Jerry, that’s a great idea! I’ve never been part of a box swap, but it does sound like a way to have your cake and eat it, too.

6

Let me review a Box Swap and I will get back to you. Sounds like fun and a way to deal with the shack nasties.

Jerry

7

Great idea I will start tying some nymphs, soft hackles and wollybuggers and get them in the mail in the next week. I will tie them in size 12, and 14s. Not a great tier but can get some flies to the kids that will catch fish. Thanks for reaching out as I will really enjoy pitching in.

8

Tumblesom Lake has some great mayfly hatches, leeches, and caddis flies if that helps anyone with patterns or colors. There is nothing in that lake except brookies and brookie food.

[LEFT]Patterns I know work on Tumblesom:

Wets:

Woolly Buggers in black and olive - on the smaller side.
Copper John
Anything that vaguely resembles a caddis larvae
Leadwing Coachman
The Tumblesom Special

Dries:

BWO
Adams
Royal Coachman
Foam Ants
Foam beetles, but small #14-#16

[/LEFT]

9

So what’s a tumblesom special?

10

I’m glad you asked! :lol:

The Tumblesom Special is a little nymph I came up with that is double easy to tie. I was watching the “Match the Hatch” presentation at the first session last summer and ran in and tied this. Ran back out and caught a fish on the first cast with it. Since then, I teach the boys how to do it and the brookies love it. It is named after the lake.

I tie them in 14’s. Nymph, scud, whatever you have handy works for a hook.

Body: Medium sized olive vinyl “D” ribbing.
Hackle: Whatever you have in olive.

Wrap your thread base on. You can use black like I used here or olive is fine, too.

Tie the “D” rib in at the bend of the hook and wrap forward. Tie off and trim.

Wrap a touch of hackle on to look like legs. Just a turn or two. Doesn’t need to be anything in particular. Dry fly hackle works, so does olive dyed wood duck. I imagine a spiky olive dubbing would be fine, too. I honestly don’t think it is needed but the fly looks naked without something. The fish don’t care. :lol:

Finish off the head, whip, and cement.

11

Great looking fly! And it does sound easy to tie.

12

I could do a dozen of my caddis larvae’s

Tell me what you think, if they will work, I will get right on them.

13

Those should work fine. I might even try tying that with UNI-Mohair to see if it might be one the boys could do.

14

That is actually what I used for it. I also used flat lead foil for some added weight. I have tweaked it just a tad since I took that picture. I used some brown 2lb. test line for segmentation. I use it on my local waters here in WV and its is deadly. I pretty much fish it year round. Since it sinks very well I will use it as my first fly and trail a soft hackle off the back. I will get on these sometime this week and try to get them out in the next couple of weeks. Hope they like them.

15

I am sure they will be appreciated. Thanks!

16

my pleasure.

17

Got an email from Ranger Marc today telling me he got the first batch of flies a couple of days ago.

Thanks guys!